


You make the sun set and the moon rise, and I swear you hung the stars yourself

by loveclubs



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Angst, College AU, Fluff, M/M, Spring Fling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 19:38:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14027325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveclubs/pseuds/loveclubs
Summary: Changkyun smile seems to falter a bit at that but when he looks straight at Jooheon again, lifting up a brow the way only he knows how to do and tilting his head to the side, he wonders if it had even happened at all or if he’s just looking into things too much.‘’Your whole life, huh? I’ll take that.’’





	You make the sun set and the moon rise, and I swear you hung the stars yourself

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bemyfriendmv](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bemyfriendmv/gifts).



“I don’t know, hyung...”

Jooheon takes the green straw between his finger and thumb, swirling it around in the beverage Minhyuk had decided to get for him.

The older boy had insisted on buying their drinks ever since he’d started noticing a pattern of Jooheon’s ever so lacking punctuality.  
  
“What do you mean you don’t know?”

Minhyuk closes the laptop he had propped before the both of them. He looks straight at Jooheon, eyebrows close together in a crease.

“You’ve been crushing on him for, god knows, the whole time he’s been on campus. He’s all I’ve been hearing about since the day you’ve bumped into him.’’ He states and as an afterthought, ‘’You know you can talk to me about these things, right.”

Jooheon gives him a look, leaning his cheek against Minhyuk’s shoulder.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

He closes his eyes. 

“Not like you and barista boy have gotten any further.” He mutters.

Minhyuk snorts at that. “Actually, Kihyun and I have a date after his shift today.”

Jooheon can feel him move in his seat and he hums. “Right.”

They sit in silence for a moment. The store becomes more alive and Jooheon wonders if Kihyun’s shift is gonna be over any time soon.

“Well,’’ Minhyuk suddenly speaks up. Jooheon opens his eyes to see him spinning a pen between his fingers.

‘’He’s gonna help me with my art history homework. Same thing.”

The younger boy nods slowly and lifts his head away from Minhyuk to prop his chin on the back of his hand instead, elbow on the table.

“Surely, I’ve always wondered myself how art history could omit such a romantic aura.’’

He grins. ‘’Even I, a non-art student, must be aware not to swoon every time you open your books.”

Jooheon tries (and fails) to stifle a laugh as Minhyuk tries to hit his arm best he can without letting Kihyun publicly know of his violence towards his friends.

 

                                                                                             ♡                             ♡                              ♡  
  
  
  
  
  
It’s cold outside; Jooheon’s breath visible and skin slowly starting to sting.

He tries rubbing his hands together to keep them warm and silently curses himself for not bringing a hot chocolate with him from the café.

Jooheon puts in effort to try and ignore the buzzing of the phone in his pants to keep his hands warm just the littlest bit longer.

He gives in when the continuous vibration feels like it’s about to drill a hole in his leg.

**Kkungie**

heooonnn

it’s almost evening and you’re not at the dorms yet

did the prof actually kill you over that poorly written essay from last time

??

**J-Honey**

excuse me i’m a literary gos

so, no, he didn’t

*god

**Kkungie**

LMAO

clearly, my bad

**J-Honey**

shut up

**Kkungie**

anyway, when are you at the dorm again

**J-Honey**

why

**Kkungie**

let me rephrase

bc ur being a pain

where are you rn??

**J-Honey**

i’m outside

almost at the dorms

**Kkungie**

ok wait there i’m coming down

hyungwon hyung gave me a discount coupon for that new rice cake place

idk how legit it is but wanna find out??

**J-Honey**

hyung did??

**Kkungie**

more like wonho hyung made him

but i actually need to tell you smth 2

**J-Honey**

if it’s about the gross toothpaste i accidentally bought u the other day then i don’t need to hear it again, i’ll make sure to double check next time

**Kkungie**

it’s not about that

however hyung it IS really gross who would even like ‘coffee bean extract’ in their toothpaste????

**J-Honey**

besides 15 y/o hipsters? i’m not sure

**Kkungie**

…………….why tho

i’m tryna brush away the coffee taste, not get more of it

**J-Honey**

u don’t even drink coffee, i always need to get u tea

**Kkungie**

hyung, it’s not just about me  
  
we need to protect all the korean citizens from this horror

**J-Honey**

so ur a superhero now

**Kkungie**

i thought u figured that one out already

u disappoint me

 

‘’Hyung!’’

Jooheon’s fingers stop typing the reply he was about to send out, which would have probably just end up being one of the too many ‘apeach’ emoticons he had bought when he had tried to distract himself from his failed math test, when he hears a familiar voice.

Changkyun walks his way, large round glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose. The younger boy pushes his brown hair back and his scarf a bit tighter around his neck.

He looks gorgeous and Jooheon’s heartbeat picks up.

‘’Wasn’t I fast? Almost superhero-like, one could say,’’ Changkyun teases with a smirk.

He holds up a green paper with white writing on it, what seems to be the coupon he was talking about. ‘’I’m even here to save you from starvation.’’

Jooheon walks closer and smiles, just thinks Changkyun is cute.

‘’Sure, I’ll spend the rest of my life paying you back.’’

Changkyun smile seems to falter a bit at that but when he looks straight at Jooheon again, lifting up a brow the way only he knows how to do and tilting his head to the side, he wonders if it had even happened at all or if he’s just looking into things too much.

‘’Your whole life, huh? I’ll take that.’’

The restaurant isn’t far from campus, but Jooheon is still glad to be going into a warm building again, hands cold and nearly red.

He gets cold easily and Changkyun knows, having tried offering his gloves to him numerous times in the span of five minutes, but Jooheon refused and assured the younger boy that he’s _fine_ and he should be cautious to not get a cold himself.

‘’You sound like a mom, hyung.’’

Jooheon throws him a look. ‘’You’re lucky you’re treating me today.’’

Changkyun just chuckles and opens the door for him.

 

 

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‘’I really can’t believe you didn’t check the coupon before you invited me…’’

Jooheon sighs while they walk back to their dorms, holding two take away boxes with the spicy rice cakes in them, thankful that they at least are warm enough to keep his hands from freezing to the point of being unable to so much as move again.

Changkyun shrugs and takes off his scarf, waving a nonchalant arm in his direction.

‘’ _Okay_ ,’’ he stresses the word. ‘’I should have checked before that it was only for one take away box for one person, but I’ll pay you back for the other one!’’

‘’You should have known that Hyungwon hyung isn’t so nice as to give you a coupon he could have used himself for a date with Wonho hyung, now we had to spend money again.’’ Jooheon says, his lips protruding in a tiny pout.

College students didn’t exactly have the biggest budget and after their last binge on discounted video games, getting food that wasn’t cup noodles didn’t exactly fit in that budget anymore.

Changkyun hums after what seems like an eternity of silence, pausing his step and Jooheon freezes with him.

‘’Why’re you sto–‘’ Jooheon’s words get cut off when Changkyun gets closer to him to wrap his scarf around Jooheon’s neck despite his earlier protests.

It actually ends up sitting more in front of Jooheon’s face than anything else and he flinches a bit.

Changkyun chuckles before muttering a soft apology, pulling the fabric down a little so Jooheon can breathe fresh air again.

‘’Don’t worry okay, I don’t mind spending a bit of money to have my own little date with my favorite hyung, so stop pouting.’’ He chuckles, placing his index finger on Jooheon’s lips.

A warm sensation makes its way through Jooheon’s body and he hopes his cheeks don’t get pinker than the fresh weather has already made them.

‘’Besides,’’ the younger boy shrugs, ‘’I found money under my bed yesterday, the universe must’ve thought I was getting too rich.’’

Jooheon laughs and when he sees Changkyun’s smile, that’s a little too darn cute for his own good, he decides to let it slide, too tired and too cold (and a little too infatuated) to protest again. 

 

 

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Jooheon’s fingers are wrapped around the cup of tea Changkyun had given him with an unexpected concerned look because ‘’you know I don’t drink coffee so I can’t offer you that but, hyung, your hands are so cold they need something to bring back the life into them.’’

So, basically, he couldn’t refuse.

He brings the cup closer to his face, breathing in the warmth, staring intently at Changkyun’s back as he prepares the food for them both.

Jooheon doesn’t know why the younger boy had suddenly insisted on getting out plates and forks and cups of tea instead of the usual disposable chopsticks and the plastic containers they had gotten to take with them.

Especially when you think about the fact they both know they aren’t going to clean the mess and Minhyuk wasn’t going to come over to boss them around, too busy with Kihyun to even so much as think about the fact he had friends beside the barista boy.

Jooheon nearly spills the hot drink when Changkyun suddenly turns around with two plates in both of his hands. If Changkyun had noticed his burning gaze, he didn’t comment on it.

‘’It’s done.’’

The black-haired boy walks over to the couch and sits himself down next to Jooheon, handing him the plate in his left hand with a reassuring smile as if he could sense Jooheon’s slight uneasiness.

He sets his tea down. ‘’Thank you.’’

Changkyun reacts by nodding and taking the remote control to switch channels, not too interested in the program explaining the reason why monkeys are so keen on bananas, and instead leaves it on one of the many music channels.

‘’This is a nice song,’’ Jooheon comments.

The boy doesn’t respond much, humming an approval before scooping a big mouthful and it shouldn’t be as cute as it is.

Jooheon’s unsure of what to do and continues slowly chewing his food, throwing a glance over his shoulder. Just like he had predicted, the kitchen is indeed a big mess and he wonders how Changkyun could be worse than himself on a lazy day.

‘’So,’’ Jooheon clears his throat, still not sure of what to say but not wanting to stay in silence any longer, the sound of the thumping of his heart in his ears getting too loud.

Changkyun whips his head to the side to look at the older boy. ‘’Yeah?’’

Jooheon clears his throat again and shrugs, making Changkyun snicker. ‘’Sorry, am I being a bad host? Are you bored of being with me already?’’

He throws an arm over his shoulder, seemingly back to his bold self, and Jooheon wonders if he’s really the oldest here.

‘’Shut up.’’

There’s more silence but this time it seems to be more comfortable.

He can feel Changkyun’s arm dropping, resting comfortably against his lower back instead.

If he hadn’t known Wonho was Changkyun’s neighbour, he would’ve turned up the music volume to try and drown out the sound of his own heartbeat getting too loud again.

He’s grateful Changkyun starts a conversation on his own accord.

‘’Remember I told you I have something to tell you?’’

Jooheon feels his chest getting tighter, chewing on his bottom lip. ‘’Right.’’

Changkyun keeps quiet for a little bit, as if he’s searching for the right words to say.

He raises his arm and Jooheon flinches at the unexpected movement before he can feel Changkyun’s fingers caressing his skin, his thumb swiping his lips much like he had done this afternoon.

‘’This is exactly why your lips get sore and you need to use my lip balm,’’ a tiny smile playing on his lips as he says so but his eyes don’t smile with it.

Jooheon gulps, lips feeling like they’re on fire.

The younger boy talking again, moving his hand away, snaps him out of his trance.  

‘’Promise me not to do that anymore,’’ He pauses. ‘’I won’t be here to keep reminding you.’’

A confused frown finds his way onto Jooheon’s face and he looks at Changkyun cautiously.

‘’What do you mean?’’

He puts his plate away and lets out a sigh – one he seemed to be holding in for quite some time – before he finally looks Jooheon in the eye, holding the boy’s gaze.

‘’I mean,’’ he starts, a little rushed, ‘’I mean I won’t be here anymore to get rice cakes with you. I mean I won’t be here anymore to study together in the library till 3AM because we’ve spent too much time playing Overwatch together. I mean I won’t be here anymore to lend you my lip balm. I won’t be here anymore to– to hug you when I feel bad or hold your hand when you’re scared for an exam.’’

Jooheon feels his breathing die in his throat and Changkyun holds his gaze for a few more seconds before he swallows hard, pushing his glasses up his nose as he glances away.

‘’I mean my dad has gotten a job somewhere else and my mom won’t allow me to be so far apart from them, something about wanting to be able to be there for me as fast as possible if something would ever to happen and… I can’t stay.’’

It’s silent as Jooheon tries to take in everything of what Changkyun had just suddenly revealed to him.

Tries to take in the fact that the idea of confessing had been spooking around in his head for a while now; Minhyuk had encouraged him because surely Changkyun had seemed so _off_ lately, especially around Jooheon, it could have only been because he had the same feelings right?

He clears his throat but it doesn’t get any less tight.

‘’When?’’ he gets out.

Changkyun looks up at him, blinking a couple times. Four, to be exact, but who was keeping count.

‘’When what?’’ the younger boy questions.

‘’When are you leaving?’’

‘’Next week.’’

Jooheon tries to keep his composure.

He inhales, the air feeling like it’s burning his lungs. He doesn’t know what to feel but his chest is burning.

Changkyun looks like he wants to say something and Jooheon wishes he would. He kind of expects the younger boy to tell him he’s joking but he’s not budging and Jooheon can’t read the emotions on his face.

He puts his plate away, his food long forgotten and most likely cold. ‘’I have to go,’’ he states.

Changkyun swallows visibly. Torn between stating his mind and feeling like he’s not in the position to, he does the next best thing he can think of.

Jooheon winces when he feels Changkyun’s warm fingers grab his own icy ones, feeling the electricity from the contrast against his skin.

‘’I’m sorry.’’

The words hit him like a truck, making the whole situation all too raw and real.

Changkyun’s face crumples when Jooheon pulls away and he hates that he still looks so beautiful when he shouldn’t.

He feels like he can’t breathe.

This time Changkyun doesn’t pester him about wearing a scarf and gloves when he walks out the door.

 

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Jooheon is sitting between Minhyuk and Kihyun. He feels like their child with the way they’re treating him but oddly enough it’s comforting as well. He feels at ease.

‘’Do you need another drink, Jooheon?’’ Kihyun asks when the commercials in between the movie start playing.

The boy shrugs.

Kihyun nods and takes their cups back to the kitchen. Jooheon can hear the fridge being opened.

Minhyuk’s arms find their way around Jooheon’s shoulders and he lets himself get pulled closer.

‘’I’m okay,’’ he reassures the elder before he can so much as open his mouth.

Minhyuk hums. ‘’I know.’’

They just sit like that for a while. Jooheon had expected to get overthrown with questions and explanations for the umpteenth time but the atmosphere was relaxed and it seemed the boy didn’t even bother to make an attempt.

He hadn’t gotten the chance to talk to Changkyun anymore. He had left early in the week after their… talk. Jooheon hadn’t known till it was too late.

He breathes, feeling Minhyuk shift beside him.

‘’Can I ask you a question, though?’’

Jooheon huffs, eyes closed as he leans his head back. He knew it was strange Minhyuk didn’t even so much as _try_ to pry into the situation again.

At this point he doesn’t know who has more trouble letting go, though if you would ask him, he’d deny and say it’s the older boy.

‘’What?’’

‘’Do you still love Changkyun?’’

Jooheon frowns. This is the first time he has asked him.

Minhyuk starts stroking the back of his hair but he can’t relax into it, the elder notices.

‘’It’s just a question.’’

‘’It’s a stupid question.’’ Jooheon states. He can’t place the emotions building up in him.

‘’Don’t ask me when you know the answer.’’

Jooheon swallows. He’s tried to forget about it.

It’s been two months and he still hasn’t come up with an explanation as to why Changkyun had let this happen. Why he hadn’t tried to fight his parents to stay. Why he had returned the jacket Jooheon had left at his place to Minhyuk instead of him, and why he had also felt the need to give him his scarf, but he hadn’t tried to talk to Jooheon anymore, not even so much as a text.

He has spent enough time on coming up with mere speculations and imagining things that would never happen.

Minhyuk stills, lets his fingers rest against Jooheon’s scalp.

He clicks his tongue. ‘’So, you do then.’’

Jooheon blinks.

Staring mindlessly at his legs, his lips protrude in a pout. They’re chapped. Jooheon hasn’t gotten used to carrying his own lip balm yet.

Kihyun walks back into the room with a tray full of drinks and new snacks, just in time for when the movie starts again.

He sits next to Minhyuk this time, who lets go of Jooheon to lean on the new presence next to him.

Kihyun doesn’t look away from the TV when he wraps an arm around his boyfriend.

Maybe Jooheon was more easy to read than he had thought.

 

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Jooheon stares at the scene in front of him and suddenly comes to the realisation that Minhyuk and Kihyun had tricked him into going to the school’s spring festival.

The boy heaves a sigh, swinging back on his heels to turn around.

‘’Right. Thanks for the walk. I’m leaving.’’

Kihyun scrunches up his nose and Minhyuk makes a face. ‘’Jooheon, _no_ ,’’ Kihyun is the one to grab him by the wrist. ‘’Please, just go, okay? It’ll be fun.’’ He says.

He and Kihyun have gotten a lot closer in the time he’s been dating his friend, but it’s safe to say he despises that Kihyun likes to meddle in his business just as much as Minhyuk does. Minhyuk really knew how to choose them.

Jooheon leans back but Kihyun doesn’t let go. ‘’Fun?’’ He scoffs.

The spring festival was held at their school every year. He had been there with Minhyuk before. That’s where Minhyuk had gotten the goldfish he wasn’t allowed to keep in the dorms but had managed to keep hidden for a whole six months anyway. It's staying with his parents now.

Last year there had been additional stands with mainly pink food and pink drinks, accessory stands, photo boots, kids running around and parents running after them, and flowers. Lots and lots of flowers.

Changkyun loves flowers and had told him one late night that he wanted to see them all with Jooheon because they’d be even prettier with him there.

The memory makes Jooheon’s insides turn.

Minhyuk rolls his eyes and the boy takes his other wrist, fingers more familiar and softer than Kihyun’s smaller, rougher pads.

‘’Don’t say it like it’s a foreign concept. You literally laughed till you cried about that dumb Youtube vine complication just yesterday.’’

Jooheon mumbles something along the lines that it’s not dumb and Minhyuk just smiles.

‘’C’mon.’’ He pulls the boy a little, encouraging him to walk with the two. ‘’Let’s enjoy ourselves.’’

Jooheon sniffs when Kihyun lets him go and rubs his nose with the back of his hand.

‘’Fine.’’ He wraps the scarf tighter around his neck and hates that it still smells like him, hates himself for mistaking this scarf with his own, but he’s too cold to take it off and he’s sure Minhyuk wouldn’t let him go back to get his own even if he tried.

 

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Jooheon exhales encumbered.

They’ve been here for what seems like forever and he’s starting to drag his aching feet. He has seen every stand and he feels like Kihyun has fed him one too many dishes from the vendors because ‘’it’s so good! It’ll cheer you up.’’

It’s not strange to think the way to Kihyun’s heart is through his stomach.

‘’I’m tired.’’ Jooheon states. He hopes they get the hint.

Minhyuk looks up at him from where had been eyeing a bracelet, letting the jewelry slip from his fingers. ‘’What’s wrong?’’ he questions.

Jooheon shrugs, directing his gaze to Minhyuk, who looks a little too worried.

‘’We’ve been here for three hours. Haven’t you seen enough already?’’

Kihyun looks at the exchange with fretful eyes but he doesn’t interfere. Minhyuk replies blankly. ‘’Of course not.’’

Jooheon starts thinking about why Minhyuk is his friend again.

‘’Besides,’’ the boy mentions, walking closer to Jooheon and the wrist grabbing seems to be a reoccurring thing tonight. ‘’We haven’t seen the fireworks yet. They’re going to start soon.’’

The last soft sunrays fall onto Minhyuk’s face and it lights up; his eyes a few shades lighter and his skin radiating. When he smiles, Jooheon thinks he looks cute and he finds it hard to say no.

‘’But we’re going home right after!’’

Minhyuk laughs, ‘’Okay,’’, and drags him along.  
  
  
The fireworks are held by a lake just outside the school campus, just like last year, but this time there are more flowers and Jooheon kind of wishes there weren’t.

There are children running around, the sparkles in their tiny hands bright in contrast to the darker evening sky, parents yelling at them not to get too close to the waterside and some students Jooheon recognizes from a few of his classes.

The crowd is slowly gathering around.

Jooheon halts his step when he sees a bench and lets out a breath, relieved and grateful he can finally sit down, but Minhyuk interferes before he can.

‘’Let’s go over there,’’ he points to a spot at the far left of the crowd. ‘’it’s less busy.’’

Despite his aching feet, Jooheon accepts the suggestion easily when he sees an elderly woman making her way over to the same bench he had been eyeing before. He nods. ‘’Alright.’’

Minhyuk smiles, a little tight. ‘’Right! Kihyun and I will be over in a minute.’’

Jooheon frowns confused but he doesn’t voice his thoughts when he hears Minhyuk say something along the lines of ‘not being able to kiss Kihyun in front of innocent children’ and he thinks he sees Kihyun jab Minhyuk’s ribs, earning a painful laugh from the boy, but he doesn’t bother to make sure, throwing a nonchalant arm in their direction signalling it’s okay for them to stay behind.

Jooheon takes a seat on the patch of grass he thinks looks the least disgusting and makes a mental note to throw his jeans in the washer the minute he gets home.

He also makes a mental note not to be a third wheel anymore. Next time he might go with Hyunwoo hyung instead.

He pulls out his phone and looks up said man, tapping on the screen a couple of times.

Maybe they could go for some drinks now they had a week off. It was hard to deny, perhaps common knowledge at this point, that Jooheon wouldn’t be spending it in the library studying. He hadn’t been in the library for what seemed like a decade. He didn’t have a reason to anymore since he had stopped playing so many videogames and he’d been pestering Kihyun to tutor him instead. It worked. Sometimes.

Jooheon presses the ‘send’ button as he notices an approaching presence next to him.

‘’I honestly didn’t think you’d make it back before the fireworks,’’ he comments dryly.

Tilting his head to the side, he fumbles to get his phone back into the pocket of his jeans.

‘’Yeah,’’ he hears. ‘’Me neither.’’

Jooheon stills, feeling his entire body become rigid.

He whips his head up, his eyes searching for blonde hair and familiar brown eyes, but instead he only finds what he had been trying to forget for so long.

A shiver goes down the curve of his back.

‘’Changkyun?’’

His voice is small and he averts his gaze from the boy, trying to see past him to look for his friends, but he can’t seem to find them in the sea of people.

He tries to make sense of the situation but he is unable to wrap his mind around what is happening.

‘’Uh, yeah,’’ Changkyun starts awkwardly. He scratches the back of his head and albeit it being awkward, he can’t help the tiny smile on his face. ‘’Hi?’’

Jooheon gulps. His heart is beating frantically in his chest.

‘’How.‘’

He struggles to find words. He had never expected Changkyun to turn up again and the confusion clouding his mind is making conversation difficult.

‘’Let me explain,’’ Changkyun’s voice is gentle and it makes Jooheon want to cry. ‘’I have something to tell you.’’

The same words as before. The last time he’d said them he had grabbed a hold of Jooheon’s heart and trampled all over it. It still hurt.

He doesn't want him to try to justify his actions. He wants to leave, he wants to leave, he wants to leave, but Jooheon can only nod.

Changkyun exhales visibly and Jooheon expects him to say something, looking at him with hesitant eyes.

He cannot read the emotions on Changkyun’s face but he looks beautiful and he hates that even with everything he’ll never tire of it.

He hates that he can’t even try to act like Changkyun doesn’t affect him anymore and he hates that conversation doesn’t flow as smoothly as it used to.

The boy looks at a loss of what to say, despite being the one telling Jooheon he had to, and Jooheon is growing impatient fast.

He puts his hands against the grass and sand, feeling like it grounds him somehow, before he pushes himself up to stand.

‘’Right.’’ He clears his throat. ‘’If that’s all, I’m going.’’

Changkyun’s face crumples like he’s seen it do before and he wonders when the sight will stop being so painful.

The boy seems to steady himself then.

‘’I love you.’’

Silence.

Jooheon’s breath dies in his throat. He stares at Changkyun.

His chest aches when Changkyun stares back at him like this is his last chance and he’s desperate to get the right words through to him.

‘’Love?’’ His voice is but a whisper, like he’s afraid to say it out loud.

Changkyun’s expression quickly changes to a surprised one. A short pause. ‘’Are– Are you crying?’’

They suddenly hear a loud bang, indicating the fireworks have started, people ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’-ing around them.

Heavy teardrops are gathering at Jooheon’s eyes and his vision waters, the fireworks one big, bright blur of colors in the sky.

He swallows and wants to turn away to try and hide his face but Changkyun’s quicker; fingers wrapping around Jooheon’s shoulders and pulling him into his chest.

Changkyun doesn’t know if he’s still in place to do what he just did but he holds on and Jooheon seems to hesitate for a moment before he slowly eases into the familiar feeling; grabbing at the back of Changkyun’s sweater.

He tries to swallow the lump in his throat.

Finally putting all the pieces together, like a realisation, he can allow himself to stop fighting what Changkyun has to offer.

The pounding of the boy’s heart is echoing in his chest and he can tell he’s nervous as well.

‘’How can I be sure?’’ Jooheon asks.

Changkyun exhales. ‘’I convinced my parents to let me transfer back.’’

Jooheon holds his breath, feeling more tears wallow up, desperately forcing them down.

‘’I’m sorry I put this on you.’’ Changkyun says earnestly. ‘’I should’ve talked to you about it sooner. I was kind of hoping my parents would change their mind, even at the very last moment…’’

‘’What made them change their mind now?’’

Jooheon looks up at him and wedges his bottom lip between his teeth when Changkyun softly starts cradling his fingers through the hairs at the back of his head. Changkyun smiles, tiny.

‘’I told them I didn’t want to leave here– specifically you.’’

Jooheon nearly gasps at the second sudden confession. He feels his chest growing.

And then,

‘’So. That actually _worked_?’’ 

Changkyun is taken aback by the sudden question but when he sees the mischief on Jooheon’s face, eyes tiny crescents as he breaks out in a grin, they both can’t help but giggle. 

Jooheon knows it mustn’t have been that easy, many more, real questions laying on the tip of his tongue. But he figures for now, he’s happy, satisfied, and this’ll do.

He purses his lips together, chewing on the bottom one.

‘’I didn’t want you to leave me.’’ He admits in a silent hush.

There’s something simmering between them. As much as Jooheon would like to, he can’t ignore the fuzzy feeling nestling in the pit of his stomach. His head is spinning.

‘’I won’t anymore.’’

Changkyun is so close he can feel the warmth radiating off of him. He carefully presses tighter against him, testing the waters.

‘’I told you to stop doing that,’’ he says, glancing at Jooheon’s lips. ‘’I didn’t bring lip balm with me.’’

Jooheon can feel his adam’s apple bob up and down, his eyes meeting Changyun’s soft gaze.

He wonders how Changkyun can make him feel so snug and small at the same time.

Barely audible over the sound of the firework, Jooheon decides to take the plunge.

‘’Aren’t you wearing some right now, though?’’

Changkyun gulps and glances at Jooheon’s lips, back up at his eyes — blinks like he’s dreaming and he feels like he could wake up any moment — and back at his lips again.

He lifts his left hand to cup Jooheon’s face and runs his thumb over them delicately.

Jooheon feels his breath hitch in his throat.

Soft.

Changkyun’s lips are like silk against his, molding together so naturally it leaves Jooheon weak in the knees.

Changkyun is careful, gentle, natural, but kisses Jooheon like he means it.

He can feel the electric buzz coursing through his body, going all the way to the tips of his fingers, and Jooheon drags Changkyun closer, wanting to be even closer and closer to the boy, wanting to feel the goosebumps on his skin as they kiss in front of everyone attending the firework show.

Changkyun moves his hand to the back of Jooheon’s neck and hums quietly, the vibrations echoing against Jooheon's lips.

They pull away from each other silently when they feel like they can no longer breathe.

Changkyun quickly leans in again to press a feather-light kiss the curve of his lips, not breaking away from the boy.

They can’t help but laugh.

Jooheon feels a rush of happiness, looking back at Changkyun with a slight blush dusting his cheeks. He feels like crying again.

Changkyun leans his forehead against Jooheon’s.

‘’You’re wearing my scarf.’’ He comments dryly, but he can’t stop smiling and Jooheon huffs embarrassed. He buries his face in his chest and Changkyun chuckles.

‘’Shut up.’’

 

**Author's Note:**

> i hope it wasn't as bad of a read as i imagine it to be jskgjdgkdjgkld  
> thank you for reading <3


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